The grandfather of a little girl attacked by a dog last year is disappointed it has taken 18 months to reach a decision to have the dog destroyed.

Three-year old Amelia-Jayne Morphus​ was attacked in January last year by a staffordshire bull terrier cross.

On Thursday, The Christchurch District Court ordered the dog to be put down.

Owner Kathryn Rutherford, always maintained that it should not have been put down because the daughter’s mother was warned it wasn’t good with children.

However, the mother said she wasn’t warned until after the attack. 

Ms Rutherford said she was extremely sad but accepted the result.

Amelia-Jayne Morphus’s grandfather Kevin Johnson told Chris Lynch his family has been frustrated that it has taken such a long time for the courts to make a decision.

He says the dog should never have been put in the position where it could attack Amelia-Jayne in the first place.

He says the dog has a previous history of “having a go at other children.”

Kevin Johnson says Amelia-Jayne still suffers particularly at night time.

He has nothing by praise for the surgeons who helped Amelia-Jayne following the attack.

Kevin Johnson says the entire process has been frustrating with the council struggling with the situation.

He said the whole thing “sucks of bureaucratic bs.”